This is quite an unusual discovery ... the owner ran across this fantastic find packed away in a trunk, stored in a zipper heavy plastic bag at her mother's house. Had a note inside that the owner's mother had written that this was her grandmother's wedding dress so these belonged to the owner's great-grandmother [I think that's right??]. In the same package was a large black bonnet and another package contained the black veil with a note that it was a widow's veil that is also belonged to her great-grandmother.
Everything is hand-made and in remarkable condition for their age. The dress is really fabulous -- the jacket made from satin and beautifully detailed with lace on the cuffs, below the neckline and down front of jacket, with applique on the sleeves. The jacket would fit someone very small -- think Scarlett O'Hara! The underskirt feels like a cotton material with taffeta on the bottom and pleated. The outer skirt is also satin and has six large satin buttons towards the bottom. The underskirt and skirt have hooks and eyes on the side. The neckline of the jacket is tan satin with crochet and a Mandarin-style collar that hooks in the back. The only damage I see is the fabric on the outer satin skirt has pulled apart where the fold has been.
You really have to see them -- the workmanship is so detailed and beautiful -- I can't imagine how many hours it would have taken to make this outfit so perfect. They really are museum-quality pieces. I did some research and found that it was common back then to have a black wedding dress since a white dress would get dirty at the hem. Also, a black dress was practical since you could use the dress afterwards as your "Sunday best" and many women were buried in their wedding dresses as well.
Here's an excerpt from a site I found:
"A beautiful bride in a white or ivory wedding gown is what we think of when we picture a traditional bride. This wasn't always so. You may be surprised to learn that in the 1800's, it was common for brides to wear everyday colors such as blue, pink, green, dark brown, burgundy and, yes, even black, rather than white and ivory. It was much more practical for a bride of the average class to wear darker colors for a variety of reasons. One major reason being money. Prudent brides planned ahead - a wedding gown could be worn for many occasions, not just on their "special day." The wedding gown was a lady's "best dress" after the ceremony and it was much more practical to have a darker colored dress than a white or ivory dress. Let's take a minute to imagine the time and effort involved in keeping the hemline of a white gown clean! Dust and dirt and no modern conveniences! Just think about what a white hemline would look like at the end of a day! Laundering was a big consideration, unless, of course, the lady was from a prominent family who had servants available to handle the laundry. A black wedding gown might also be worn by a bride if she were to wed a widower. White began to gain popularity by the 1870's, and by the 1880's most women wore the soft whites and ivories of the time; however, it was still common to see ladies wed in their "Sunday Best." You will find many early photos of ladies in beautiful white gowns, buy you will find many more photos of ladies in their finest dark colored dress, with and without, ivory veils. Many brides wore their wedding dresses as traveling gowns after the wedding took place. Couples were often married mid-morning with a traditional wedding breakfast and then left for a special honeymoon spot."
The ruffled bonnet is made from what feels like a stiff cotton material, maybe muslin? Has a large poofy piece at the crown and a piece that covers the back of the neck; ties under chin. Don't know the age so it could be earlier or later. Reminds me of the bonnets the women settlers wore as they crossed the Plains. The widow's veil is made from what feels like silk and has a wide hem at each end. These were laid across the head to cover the face, usually over a black hat. It does show some damage from storage, but then all the items are extremely old.
The owner's grandparents lived in Washington, Virginia [named for George Washington who surveyed the town], a small town nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As an added tidbit, her grandparents' home in 'town' is now a beautiful bed and breakfast called the Foster Harris House; there is a world-famous AAA, Fodor's, and Forbes Five-Star restaurant in the town, The Inn at Little Washington, which is visited regularly by Washington, DC politicians and international visitors. Andrew Lloyd Webber once claimed, "For my money this little hotel provides the best overall dining experience I can remember in a long while, perhaps my best ever." You can find much more information on-line ... just do a search on the town and restaurant name and you'll get a feel for the heritage and history of the town and area. Many Civil War battles were fought on this land and the owner's relatives are buried in the little graveyard there. The town is about 70 miles from D.C. and is truly a scenic area, especially in the fall when the leaves have turned.
Addendum: I received a note from a nice person who told me that this is a mourning dress and veil, and that it dates from the late 1800's or turn of the Century [1900's] based on the skirt and bodice style. Another nice person who specialized in antique clothing told me it dates from c. 1900 based on the seaming at the bodice and could have been restyled later for another family member. Frankly, I don't know which it is -- wedding or mourning dress -- all I have to go by is the note written in the owner's mother hand that it was her grandmother's wedding dress and there's no one left in the family to verify dates so best guess and expert opinions are all I can provide.
